Nano 48 in Vanity Light | Blackjack Lighting

Nano is an exercise in reduction: a single straight bar of light and a small square block to hold it. In the 48-inch version that line becomes long enough to read as architecture, a four-foot stroke of light only 2.8 inches deep and 4.6 inches tall in profile. The bar is mounted off-center from its compact backplate, so it seems to hover across the wall rather than sit on it.

The integrated LED runs the full length of the bar behind a continuous lens, giving one unbroken band of even light with no bulbs, sockets or bright spots. That makes Nano as much a graphic element as a fixture. Above a wide mirror or a double vanity it draws a clean horizon line; in Satin Nickel it reads soft and calm, in Polished Chrome it becomes brighter and more reflective, picking up the gleam of taps and glass around it.

Design notes

• One line of light: a continuous 48 in (121.9 cm) LED bar with no visible sources or breaks.
• Floating geometry: the bar is held by a compact square backplate, so most of its length stands free of the wall.
• Slim profile: just 2.8 in (7.1 cm) deep and 4.6 in (11.6 cm) high in section.
• Quality of light: 2,900 lumens at 3000K and 90 CRI, enough to light a long vanity evenly and render skin tones naturally.
• Two metals: Satin Nickel for a soft, brushed look or Polished Chrome for a mirror shine.

Specifications

Downloads

• Nano 48 in specification sheet (PDF)
• Nano 48 in installation instructions (PDF)
• Nano 48 in LM-79 photometric report (PDF)

Stephen Blackman and Blackjack Lighting

Blackjack Lighting is the studio of industrial designer Stephen Blackman, its President and Chief Design Officer. Trained in industrial design at Syracuse University, Blackman began his lighting career in 1984 at Sonneman Design Group, then founded Blackman Design Associates in 1988, designing decorative and architectural lighting for manufacturers including Kichler. He launched Blackjack in 2013 in suburban Chicago, now based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, to build fixtures conceived for LED from the first sketch.

His argument is that the LED should change the shape of a light, not just its efficiency. Rather than hiding a new source inside old bulb-and-shade forms, Blackjack designs around the small, flat, cool-running LED: thin discs, slim rods, glowing rings and lenses that let the light itself become the object. In his own words, "Decorative lighting by its nature is not primarily about optimizing lamp efficiency, it is primarily about decoration!" Nano 48 is that idea at full stretch: four feet of light reduced to a single slender bar.

Questions

What is the design idea behind Nano?

Reduction. Nano is a straight bar of LED light held by a small square backplate, with nothing else added. The maker describes it as super-efficient LED light inside a minimal geometric form.

Which Blackjack collection is Nano part of?

It belongs to the Spec Series and is made in 25, 36 and 48 in lengths; the 48 in is the longest, scaled for wide mirrors and double vanities.

Satin Nickel or Polished Chrome?

Satin Nickel has a soft brushed sheen that suits matte tile, stone and warm woods. Polished Chrome is brighter and mirror-like, matching chrome taps and glass shower screens.

Which voltage and dimming option do I need?

The 120VAC TRIAC version works with standard residential TRIAC dimmers. The 120-277VAC version adds ELV and 0-10V dimming for commercial controls. Both give 2,900 lumens at 3000K and 90 CRI.

What warranty does it carry?

Three years on the integrated LED and its power supply, and one year on materials and workmanship, for the original buyer in the US and Canada.